Chapter 147: White Dragon VII


    Elios and his subordinates closely pursued the retreating opponents. Although it was not easy to follow through the narrow alley, it wasn’t impossible, as everyone there was highly skilled. If Elios had been alone, she would have quickly caught up with overwhelming speed, but considering the movement speed of her subordinates, that wasn’t an option.


    Elios led the pursuit, adjusting her pace to match the others.


    “Chit…” she muttered as the bodyguards split into two groups before her eyes. It was clear they intended to dy their pursuers, and Elios couldn’t immediately discern which group to follow.


    “What should we do?” someone asked.


    “We have no choice. We’ll split into two groups as well. If you notice signs of a trap, retreat immediately. Everyone has escape tools, right?” Elios asked.


    “Yes, of course,” one of his subordinates responded.


    “Good. When you find the Emperor, signal right away.”


    With the contingency n set, Elios resumed the chase after dividing her group.


    ***“There! We’re almost caught up!”


    A group of mages separated from Elios’ party. They could see the enemies slowing down in front of them, though the exact reason was unclear. It seemed as though they had arrived at their destination—whether it was where the Emperor was or a trap, they couldn’t be sure.


    If the Emperor was there, they would rush in and capture him. If it was a trap, they’d use their escape tools.


    As they stepped into the tunnel where the shadows had just been cast, chaos erupted.


    “Gah!”


    “Ugh!”


    Three or fourrades suddenly screamed and copsed, halting their advance.


    “What…what’s going on?” they asked, scanning their surroundings warily. One of the mages knelt to check the condition of her fallen colleague, but her face quickly turned pale.


    “Dead…they’re dead.”


    “What? But how, without a sign of attack?” someone stammered.


    It hadn’t been bullets or arrows. They had a weak barrier up, and such an attack shouldn’t have resulted in instant death. Above all, the wounds on the fallen weren’t consistent with bullets or arrows—they looked like deep cuts from some kind of de.


    “Is it a trap? But where is the enemy?”


    Despite the shadows around them, the tunnel wasn’t long, and there should have been no problem identifying the source of the attack. But no matter how much they searched, the enemies were nowhere in sight.


    Just as the elite soldiers of the Dragona Empire were perplexed by the iprehensible attack, it happened again.


    “Aagh!”


    “The…the shadow?!”


    ck shadows wrapped around their feet with an unrelenting grip, binding them as if their legs were encased in solid rock.


    Then came the blood.


    “Ah!”


    “Keoouk!”


    Blo0d and screams poured out as if something invisible had sliced them apart. In confusion, the soldiers began falling, their backs s1ashed open.


    “D*mn! This a trap!” one shouted.


    “We have to retreat!” another urged.


    “But we’vee all this way! Escaping now—”


    “What are you talking about? This is Her Highness’ order! When it’s clear we’ve fallen into a trap, we retreat, no exceptions!” a witch snapped.


    Still, others hesitated, thinking the Emperor might be right in front of them, but they soon fell, bl0od spraying from their wounds.


    In the end, they had no choice but to retreat. The mages used their escape tools, disappearing almost immediately, leaving behind the corpses of twenty or so of theirrades.


    ***


    Once they were gone, a girl who had been hiding in the shadows cautiously revealed herself.


    “They’re gone…right? Are they really gone?” Mino asked, her voice trembling as she looked around.


    A familiar voice answered her. “Yeah, they’re gone. Missionplete.”


    Ken appeared, her form seeming to peel out of the shadows like paint. The long sword she held was still stained with fresh blood.


    “It was easier than I thought. Even the elites of the Dragona Empire are no match for us,” Ken said confidently, her lips curling into a grin. She, who could temporarily erase her presence, recalled the thrill of cutting down nearly defenseless enemies.


    “That…that was intense. Since we’re behind enemy lines, I was nervous the whole time. If my shadow technique hadsted just 30 seconds less…” Mino muttered.


    “Well, luck is a skill too,” Ken replied with a smirk.


    Though they acknowledged the danger, they had still seeded. Their main profession was assassination, and both were ustomed to taking great risks for great rewards.


    ***


    “Kuuu!”


    Soldiersy scattered on the ground. Some were still alive, using escape tools, but no one stopped them. Witches, mages, and demons disappeared before their eyes, wrapped in mana as they escaped.


    Watching them, Ken and Mino spoke in rxed tones.


    “They’re strong, sure, but none of them are like our monster sister,” Ken mused.


    “Unlucky for them. Not many people survive after being attacked by us,” Mino added.


    “True. Assassination is our specialty,” Ken said,ughing. “And the situation was set up perfectly for us.”


    For assassins like them, this had been an ideal scenario. Their goal wasn’t extermination, but intimidation. They’d seeded in scaring the enemies into retreat.


    From Echid’s perspective, the mission had been a sess. She had scattered the forces and sent them running without taking too many casualties.


    <em>‘Missionplete. The others must have seeded too. Now, let’s regroup and finish this war once and for all,’</em> She thought.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Elios had finally arrived at her destination. Most of the enemies had been dispersed, leaving only one robed figure in front of her.


    “So, you’ve appeared before Emperor Carol, as I expected,” Elios said.


    “It’s been a while, Princess Elios Nosht Dragona. It’s been almost a year since we met in Hangury,” Bahamut replied, bowing politely.


    Beside him, the female warrior Ophelia stood guard as always.


    “You received my letter, didn’t you? Are you nning to surrender now? If you kneel before me, I’ll forget you ever owed me,” Princess Elios said, smiling with interest.


    Bahamut returned her smile. “I’m sorry, but that won’t be possible. Perhaps before, but now I’ve invested too much in this side.”


    “So money is more important than your life?” Elios mused. “Typical merchant.”


    With those words, Elios slowly gathered mana into her sword, and Ophelia drew her greatsword in response.


    “What a pity,” Elios said, genuine regret in her voice. “I quite liked you… but if I can’t have you, I’ll just have to destroy you.”<hr>


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